The San Francisco 49ers opened as a 3-point favorite at the market-setting Cris sportsbook and, according to Sports Insights’ NFL Betting Trends, is currently receiving just 44% of all spread bets. Not surprisingly, the line remains at -3 with such an even distribution of spread wagers.

One factor that must be constantly monitored is the health of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. As detailed this morning in our Overnight Injury Report, Roethlisberger is expected to start this evening despite week long speculation about his status. Of course, if Big Ben is unable to play, Charlie Batch or Dennis Dixon would like get the start. Our Premium and Premium Pro members can receive injury alerts to their e-mail or cell phones, but for anybody else make sure to visit our NFL injuries page for up to the minute updates.

While a majority of the market-setting books have this game available at -3 (+110), there are a handful of book offering this game at -2.5 or even -1.5. Those points are particularly significant when dealing with a key number like 3, which was exemplified by yesterday’s game between the Bengals and Rams.

St. Louis, who was a 7-point dog at most books, ended up losing 20-13. However, if you were able to buy this game at SIA, Bodog, Carib or YouWager, you could have bet this game at +7.5 and covered the spread. This once again demonstrates the importance of having access to multiple books and always shopping for the best line.